Such an arrangement is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,262,348. In this document a gap is moved beneath a cutting device in the above described manner, the bearing surface being formed of a flexible material, such as for example a multiplicity of material layers, on a belt forming the table top. The belt is guided about upper and lower deflection devices and is produced, for example, of leather, fabric, wire mesh, thin stainless steel or other flexible materials. Beneath the belt is located a multiplicity of support rods connected with one another with flexible cables and for the transport engage into corresponding recesses in the rollers of the deflection devices. The support rods are guided and held on both sides in the machine frame via an axial latching pin, guide runners entrained beneath the support rods ensuring the axial movement of the latching pins.
WO 03/016 004 A1 describes a similar device, wherein here, in addition to the movement of the gap during the separating process, the gap can also be enlarged in order to empty, for example, the cut-out parts into a container located beneath and therewith to make possible automatic operation.
For fast flow of the cutting process and also of the removal of the cut material, independently of whether or not the cut-out is removed downwardly as described in WO 03/016 004 A1, it is required to transport the material rapidly and simply out of the cutting region in order for new material to be emplaced for the cutting process.